Title: My Risky Romance in Turkey
Author: Karen Carlson
Publisher: Bookside Press
ISBN:1990695582
Pages: 202
Genre: Memoirs
Reviewed by: Alyssa Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
There is something far too intriguing about a well-executed and impeccably detailed memoir. It’s a way of peeking into someone’s life, their thoughts, their fears and their hopes. You begin to feel as if you know this person and the struggles, as well as triumphs, that they have endured. This is what is particularly exciting while reading My Risky Romance in Turkey by Karen Carlson. The author does not hold back any detaisl, as none are too small or irrelevant to this tale.
We first meet Karen as she heads off on a fantasy vacation with her partner, Cap. The two lovers are looking to escape their current lives for a bit and immerse themselves in a new culture while in a faraway land — Greece. But the moment they get on the plane, Karen begins to see behavior from Cap that leaves her less than thrilled. He smokes Hashish on the plane in front of all the passengers which was a truly shocking moment for both Karen and the reader. Once they arrive, she sees his true intention and only focus is to smuggle drugs across European borders — and beyond — which ultimately leads to the destruction of their relationship.
Once the two go their separate ways, Karen goes on her own journey of intrigue, danger, self-discovery, and learning what it means to both fall in-and-out of love. It isn’t until she arrives in Turkey that we begin to see the true heart of this book, though. It is there that she begins to notice cultural differences quite quickly. And when she meets Suleyman, as well as Helene and Andrea, it is there that we realized these new characters are about to propel the drama forward even further than we could have ever expected.
Throughout this memoir, we are met with unexpected action as well as plenty of drama and romance. The author does a fantastic job at transporting us not only back to the 1960s time period, but to the different cities she traveled through during this incredible time in her life. The fact she is unafraid to tell every last detail of her past and is able to reflect on it from her current perspective is no easy feat. There’s no denying that this author expertly knows how to illustrate what it’s like to be in a foreign country looking for love and adventure and how nothing is as perfect as it seems, especially when unexpected dangers arise. Run, don’t walk, to pick up your copy of My Risky Romance in Turkey by Karen Carlson today!